San Francisco County
LEWIS NELSON HAGER
LEWIS NELSON HAGER, dealer in wood, coal, hay, grain, flour, feed, lath and lime, on Telegraph avenue, between Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh streets, Oakland, was born in New York State, October 7, 1835, a son of Abraham and Lena (Van Lone) Hager, both natives of that State. The father, born in Schoharie county, New York, February 8, in 1802, learned the trades of carpenter, millwright and pattern-maker, and lived to the age of sixty-one years, and ten months, dying in December, 1863. The mother, born in Green county, survived him twenty-one years, dying in April 1884, aged about seventy-five. They had six children who reached maturity, namely: Cornelia Catharine, died unmarried in 1883; Peter Levander, born in 1830, is now a miller in Delaware county, New York; DeWitt Clinton, born in 1833, enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-fourth New York Volunteer Infantry during the civil war, promoted to be Orderly Sergeant of Company H, is yet living; Lewis N., the subject of this sketch; Austin, born in 1840, enlisted in the Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry, and afterward re-enlisted, serving about four years, being for a time Aid-de-camp to General Sickles, was sent to the rear on the sick list and died soon after returning home; Asa Leroy, born about 1844, by trade a carpenter and cabinetmaker, is now Postmaster at Hobart, Delaware county, New York. The grandfather, Van Lone, lived past middle age; and his wife, by birth a Van Duser, lived to be over eighty. The Hagers were of the so-called Mohawk Valley Dutch, and mostly of the agricultural class. The grandmother, Hager, by birth a Voorheis, died young, and her husband was about middle age.
Lewis N. Hager, the subject of this sketch, was brought up to farm life. At eighteen he began to learn the miller’s trade of his brother, Peter L., remaining with him about three years. In 1856 he went to Iowa and worked at his trade at Newton, at Des Moines and Story, where he helped to put up a mill, of which he had charge about eighteen months. In 1859 he crossed the plains and went to mining in Churn creek, near Shasta, until the spring of 1860. He then went to work at his trade, helping to put up a mill at Cottonwood, Shasta county, of which he had charge about thirteen months. Next he had charge of a flouring mill at Marysville for some months, and in the autumn of 1861 went to work at a mill on Butte creek, in Butte county. In 1862 he moved to Nevada, and with a partner took up 160 acres in Humboldt county. In 1868 he bought out his partner, and soon afterward purchased another 160 acres, a short distance from the first. His farming consisted chiefly of raising horses, with some hay and grain for their winter feed, there begin at that time much free pasturage for stock in that section.
In 1884 he sold out his land and what was left of his stock, and set out to visit the World’s Fair at New Orleans, spending a few days in Sacramento and a week in Oakland on the way. After spending a week in New Orleans he revisited his old home in Delaware county, New York, arriving May 1. In May he traveled through New England, and on June 1 set out from Addison, New York, the home of his brother, DeWitt C., on the return trip to California, coming by way of Salt Lake, where he spent a few days visiting some friends. Arriving in Nevada he spent some time in settling up some business matters in Humboldt county, and arrived in Oakland in July, 1885. Before the close of that year he purchased the business he still carries on, which he has however much enlarged, putting up new buildings as well as increasing the trade. It is now one of the largest of a local character in the city.
Mr. Hager has taken a lively interest in the success of the Republican party from the first; but the only time he ever took more than a voter’s part was at the first election of President Lincoln, for which he worked zealously, and was himself chosen Constable of Shasta, for which, however, he declined to quality.
Mr. Hager was married in Oakland, in 1888, to Miss Nellie Spielman, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, where her parents still reside. The father, originally a ship carpenter by trade, became connected with steamboating and was at one time part owner in a steamboat on the Mississippi river. Miss Spielsman was on a visit to some relatives in this city at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Hager have one child, Austin, born April, 1889.
Fred, Leroy Hager, born September, 1855, a son of P. L. and a nephew of the subject of this sketch, came here in February, 1889, and is a general assistant in his business. He has a marked natural talent for music and has attracted much local attention as a violinist.
Transcribed by Joyce
and David Rugeroni.
Source: “The Bay of
San Francisco,” Vol. 2, Pages 364-365, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2006 Joyce & David
Rugeroni.